Boiling Spring Lakes/Southport – 1:15 PM Trip full
Planning Notes for the Southport Meeting!
Unless otherwise noted, all field trips leave from the
host hotel. We encourage carpooling to reduce the
number of vehicles on the road, and this also helps in
parking at the birding sites. If you are willing to drive
and take some old or new birding friends along,
please let your trip leader know when you meet.
On trips that involve ocean-watching or shorebirds, a
spotting scope may be helpful. If you don't have one,
don't worry, there should be plenty to go around, but
having your own may enhance your viewing opportunities.
Dress for the weather! Field trips generally run rain
or shine, so make sure raingear is part of your packing
plans.
Winter Meeting Field Trip Descriptions
Trips 1, 16: Ft. Fisher/Federal Point/Kure Beach/NC Aquarium (Restrooms available)
These well-known hot-spots offer some of the best
winter birding on the North Carolina coast. The ocean
here is attractive to many birds because of the biologically-rich hard-bottomed areas just off shore. This
trip also offers the chance to see winter passerines
around the fort area. At Federal Point we'll look for
grebes, shorebirds, terns, gulls, and raptors. Kure
Beach will have you looking out in the ocean for gannets,
loons (2+ species) and all 3 North American scoter
species. The ocean here has seen rarities including
grebes (other than Horned), alcids, rare sea ducks, and
possibly a Purple Sandpiper. Trips will leave the hotel
at 6:30 a.m. and then take the 7 a.m. Southport/Ft.
Fisher ferry. There is a $5 fee per car each way for
the ferry.
Trips 2, 17: Bald Head Island (Restrooms available)
Bald Head Island offers a fun day with more than just
birds to look at. You've got the 20-minute ferry ride,
the wonderful homes on the island, and both the Cape
Fear River and ocean to take in. The birding in winter
can be very interesting. Northern Gannets are seen
over the ocean, and we will look for scoters and the
occasional jaeger. In the wooded areas you can hope
for an Orange-crowned Warbler or Blue-headed Vireo.
Bald Head Island is a bit unlike any other place in
NC. Cabbage palmettos are common—this is their
northern limit. It's more like being in SC than NC.
The island also features a lighthouse, Old Baldy, the
oldest lighthouse in NC. Unfortunately going to Bald
Head Island is going to cost you. Signing up for this
field trip has you agreeing to all the costs associated
with going to Bald Head Island. The current round trip
ferry cost is $23 per person. Parking at the ferry terminal
is $8 per car (maybe $2 a person if you carpool).
Golf carts will be rented as it's a 3 mile walk/drive to places we'll visit.
Current golf cart rates for 4
are $60.50 (budget something over $15). Your Southport
CBC planning team will attempt to lower the cost
of golf cart rentals but can't promise anything at this
time.
We leave the hotel at 6:45 a.m. and meet at the Ocean
Isle Beach pier at 8:00 a.m. for ocean-watching. We
will then travel to the east end of the island to a public
parking area and take a short walk to Shallotte Inlet to
look for sea ducks, shorebirds (possibly Piping Plover),
gulls, and terns. We will check out a newly constructed
boardwalk through the scrub and salt marsh
to look for Orange-crowned Warbler, maritime sparrows,
raptors, and rails. Depending on tides, we may
be able to scan the extensive flats and exposed oyster
bars along the tidal creeks at the west end of the island.
Other stops will include the Ocean Isle Beach
Wastewater Treatment Plant for ducks and gulls, and
Twin Lakes at Sunset Beach for ducks, Anhingas, and
night-herons. Time permitting there will be other
quick stops at local birding sites.
Trips 4, 19: Growing-season Burns/Sparrows & Other Species (Wet trip; Strenuous) (Limited restroom availability except at lunchtime) Trip 19 cancelled
This trip will visit areas burned during the past nine
months. It may include areas where wildfire burns
occurred (such as the Holly Ridge area), and may also
visit areas where prescribed burns were conducted.
Locations will be selected based on scouting observations
prior to the meeting. Travel time to the first stop
may be slightly over an hour. Be prepared for strenuous
walking in wet, forested areas. Boots for walking
in wet areas are appropriate. We will hope to see/hear
Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, maybe a Bachman's
Sparrow (tough in the winter because they don't sing),
and dream of a Henslow's Sparrow. Time permitting
a bit of ocean watching at Topsail Island may be included.
From Mason Inlet on the north end to Masonboro Inlet
on the south end, this trip features ocean and jetty
scanning for rarities. Targeted areas, observed from
the beach or end of Johnny Mercer's Pier, include the
legendary loon flock off the island's north end that
extends to pier. There are no guarantees, but this
flock has consistently produced write-ins on the
Christmas Count plus many rare winter bird sightings
with birds such as Pacific Loon, Thick-billed Murre,
Common Eider, Harlequin Duck, etc. Shorebirds and
waterbirds observed at the inlets and jetties may include
Purple Sandpiper, Piping Plover, and Great Cormorant.
Trip 18: Sunset Beach/Bird Island/Little River Inlet & Jetties (Strenuous) (Limited restroom availability during beach walk)
Leaving the hotel at 6:45 a.m., meet the leader at the
Sunset Beach Pier parking lot at 8:15 a.m. We will
then drive to a small public parking area at the west
end of the island. From here we will walk to the Little
River Inlet and jetties, ocean watching along the way,
about 4.5 miles round trip. Target birds will be all
three North American scoters, eiders, Purple Sandpipers,
loons, alcids, grebes, and shorebirds. After the
beach hike we will visit the famous Twin Lakes and
Lake Medcalf to check the diverse waterfowl
flocks. Waterfowl, Anhinga, night-herons, and other
waders should be easy to see. As time permits
there will be quick stops at other local birding
spots. Bring weather-appropriate gear, water, and
snacks for this trip. Other than the long beach hike
itself there will be restrooms, restaurants, and convenience
stores available. This trip is for those who enjoy
an extended winter walk on the beach.
Trip 21: "Target Birds" Grand Tour (Restroom availability between stops)
Have you ever attended a CBC meeting and found out
some bird species you'd really like to see were seen
the 1st day of the field trips (and wish you could hit
those spots the 2nd day)? Here's your chance! Signing
up for this trip means going to hot spots where
there's some chance to see rarities found the day before.
There's no itinerary for this trip and it could include
considerable time driving between stops. This
field trip will target the rarest birds seen the 1st day.
(Hope you see a couple of life birds!)
Trips 6, 22: Ft. Caswell/Oak Island/Fish Factory Road (Restrooms available) Trips 6 and 22 are full
From the beachfront of Caswell Beach to the lawns of
Ft. Caswell and on to the salt marshes and woods of
Fish Factory Road, participants will be treated to
broad mixture of seabirds, shorebirds, raptors, sparrows,
winter songbirds, ducks, waders, terns, and
gulls. This route, borrowed from the Southport
Christmas count, is very productive and usually yields
a few surprises! Time permitting and if accessible, a
quick stop at the Yaupon Beach Pier may be included.
Individuals will be charged $3 for a grounds pass at
the fort.
Trips 7, 23: Brunswick Town/Brunswick Nature Park/Funston Farms (Restrooms available)Trips 7 and 23 are full
This route may offer Brunswick County's widest variety
of winter birds. Winter specialties at Brunswick
Town include Rusty Blackbirds, woodpeckers, owls,
and many species of overwintering songbirds. Up to
seven species of woodpeckers plus American Woodcocks
and Winter and House Wrens are possible.
Bald Eagles, Anhinga, and several varieties of ducks
and scoters are likely on the Cape Fear River or nearby
Orton Pond. After the Brunswick Town stop, we
will drive through the Funston Farms area searching
for Eastern Meadowlark, Wilson's Snipe, American
Pipit, and sparrows. This trip will end at Brunswick
Nature Park on Town Creek where species observed
may include Golden-crowned Kinglet, Blue-headed
Vireo, and Fox Sparrow.
Trips 8, 24: Airlie Gardens (Restrooms available)
Established in 1901, Airlie Gardens is a valuable cultural
and ecological component of New Hanover
County and North Carolina history. You'll have the
opportunity to view 10 acres of freshwater lakes and
the grandeur of the 462 year-old Airlie Oak. Waterbirds
such as ducks, egrets, herons, kingfishers, cormorants,
and Ospreys are common. Watch for winter
passerines as you walk around the well-kept grounds.
On any given day it is easy to spot more than 30 species
of birds while traversing the gardens. Individuals
will be charged a $3 for a grounds pass (the usual
fee is $5).
Wilmington has many great winter hotspots! Following
routes that will include many sites on the Christmas
Bird Count, we will visit places such as Greenfield
Lake and Oakdale Cemetery. Each of the four
trips may follow a different route depending heavily
on what's being seen the week of the Southport meeting,
morning versus afternoon, and rare bird sightings.
Some of the best birds regularly seen include Anhinga,
Sora, Winter Wren, Rusty Blackbird, and maybe a rare
winter sparrow. Expect extended walks, mostly on
paved trails.
Trips 10, 13, 26, 29: Wilmington Spoil Island/Impoundments (Very limited restroom availability) Trip 13 is full. Trip 10 is cancelled
This normally closed, restricted site will allow us special
access to their impoundments for the CBC meeting.
The impoundments are excellent for waterfowl,
shorebirds, raptors, owls, sparrows and pipits. The
trip is limited to 15 participants and 4 vehicles. Because
we will use unpaved roads atop dikes, please
indicate on the registration form if you will volunteer
to drive your high-clearance vehicle.
Trips 11, 27: Carolina Beach SP, City Lake, Pier (Restrooms available)
Carolina Beach State Park and other nearby sites offer
varied habitats that are fairly close to each other (the
island is slightly more than a mile wide here). The
state park's unique setting will have you scanning the
marina area to check out the Cape Fear River and the
Intracoastal Waterway. There are shrubby spots to
look for winter passerines. Waterfowl will be viewed
at freshwater pond sites. You'll also have the opportunity
for some ocean watching from the pier. With
sites close together, you'll spend a lot of your time
birding and less time driving between stops.
Trips 12, 28: Oak Island West End (Restrooms available)
Expect waterbirds in large mixed flocks at the western
tip of Oak Island and the Lockwood Folly inlet. Birds
may include several tern species, ducks, and Black
Skimmers. Surrounding marshes and mudflats should
yield several species of shorebirds plus raptors such as
Peregrine Falcon and Northern Harrier. Time permitting,
a quick stop at a pier or one of several small nature
centers may be included on the way back to the
hotel.
Trips 15, 31: Boiling Spring Lakes/Southport (Restrooms available) Trips 15 and 31 are full
The first stop will be The Nature Conservancy's Boiling
Spring Lakes Preserve, known for overwintering
songbirds, sparrows, and waterfowl. Red-cockaded
Woodpeckers and the other seven species of NC
woodpeckers are possible. Afterwards, we will return
to Southport and bird as many hotspots as time permits,
including the waterfront/marina area, Smithville
Burying Grounds, community ponds, and Shepard
Road area fields. These sites host overwintering and
resident raptors, sparrows, shorebirds, terns, and waterfowl.
The exact stops on this portion of the trip will
be dictated by Southport Christmas Count results.
